Colossus by David Blixt – Blog Tour, Book Review and Giveaway #DavidBlixtVirtualTour

About the Book:Judea, 66 AD. A Roman legion suffers a smashing and catastrophic defeat at the hands of an angry band of Hebrews armed with only slings and spears. Knowing Emperor Nero’s revenge will be swift and merciless, they must decide how to defend their land against the Roman invasion.Caught up in the tumult is the mason Judah, inadvertent hero of Beth Horon, who now finds himself rubbing shoulders with priests, revolutionaries, generals, and nobles, drafted to help defend the land of Galilee.

Denied the chance to marry where he will, he turns all his energy into defending the besieged city of Jotapata. But with a general suffering delusions of grandeur, friends falling each day, and the Roman menace at the walls, Judah must brave a nightmare to save those he loves and preserve his honor.About the Author:Author and playwright David Blixt’s work is consistently described as “intricate,” “taut,” and “breathtaking.” A writer of Historical Fiction, his novels span the early Roman Empire (the COLOSSUS series, his play EVE OF IDES) to early Renaissance Italy (the STAR-CROSS’D series, including THE MASTER OF VERONA, VOICE OF THE FALCONER, and FORTUNE’S FOOL) up through the Elizabethan era (his delightful espionage comedy HER MAJESTY’S WILL, starring Will Shakespeare and Kit Marlowe as inept spies). His novels combine a love of the theatre with a deep respect for the quirks and passions of history. As the Historical Novel Society said, “Be prepared to burn the midnight oil. It’s well worth it.”

Living in Chicago with his wife and two children, David describes himself as “actor, author, father, husband. In reverse order.”

For more about David and his novels, visit www.davidblixt.com.My Opinion:If there is a period in history that I love as much as Tudor England, the Roman era would be it. This novel covers Rome’s annoyance at Judea in a post Jesus time when Nero rules the Empire. The history is deep, complex and this was a book I truly enjoyed.The plot is detailed and the cast of characters is extensive and I feel inadequate to effectively convey just how well researched and written it is. The book centers on two young twins, Judah and Asher. Judah is a man of action and strength, Asher a man of keen intelligence and thought. They are bound to each other as twins often are and since Judah thought Asher had died they are closer than ever. They make alliances with a wealthy spice merchant and that leads them to working closely with the new governor of Galilee. There they find themselves in the heat of the battle against the Romans.As with any historical novel that keeps me reading until 3 in the morning I found myself researching the events depicted and Mr. Blixt made the dry events of ancient history come alive – well not on the page since I was using an e-reader, but certainly in my mind. I felt the emotions of the soldiers, the heat of the desert. It was hard to put down. It seems that the books I enjoy the most, the books that keep me enthralled are the hardest reviews to write. You would think it would be the other way around. But no. I can’t find the words to express how much I enjoyed this tale and I will most definitely be looking forward to the next four books in the series. We all know that Rome will fall but the history of Judea is not as well known to me and to see it play out against the mightiest empire of the time will be magnificent.Mr. Blixt is a writer who takes a piece of history and invites the reader to view that time through the eyes of his characters. Please, take him up on the invitation. You won’t be disappointed.

You can see the David Blixt Tour ScheduleI will be reviewing Her Majesty’s Will on 12/17You can purchase Colossus for Kindle on Amazon.comThe Giveaway:One lucky reader will win an e-copy of Colossus (PDF or mobi). Since it’s an e-copy the giveaway is open internationally. How do you win? It’s easy! Just hop on the Rafflecopter. Good luck everyone!a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received an e-copy of Colossus from Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours gratis. Any opinions expressed are my honest opinions and were not impacted by my receipt of the free e-book. I received no monetary compensation for this post.

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